The Straight Daily News – McMahon steps in for absent Galanos | Lady Shenandoah’s Everest slot | Pony racing under cloud
Steve McMahon in ATC hot seat
Steve McMahon is acting as chief executive of the Australian Turf Club during one of its busiest periods in the build up to The Everest while incumbent Matt Galanos takes personal leave.
As speculation mounts about the tenure of Galanos, who has been CEO two-and-a-half years, it has emerged that McMahon has taken on extra responsibility just as Sydney’s spring carnival heats up.
McMahon, the ATC’s head of corporate affairs and government relations, was a leading figure, alongside then chair Peter McGauran, in championing the $5 billion sale of Rosehill racecourse to the state government.
McMahon steps in as Galanos takes spring break
Lady Shenandoah booked for The Everest
Triple Group 1 winner Lady Shenandoah is the latest horse to be locked in for The Everest, with John Camilleri’s Fairway Thoroughbreds utilising its slot to secure the four-year-old.
Lady Shenandoah, a winner of the Flight Stakes, Surround Stakes and Coolmore Classic during her three-year-old campaign, resumed in the Concorde Stakes where she was unlucky in being narrowly beaten by Headwall.
While her Group 1 winning form is over further distances, she was destined for The Everest, on her way to taking on the $10 million Golden Eagle later in the spring.
Fairway Thoroughbreds, which purchased its Everest slot from Aquis in 2024, was set to utilise its slot on Sunshine in Paris, who ran fifth in the race last year. But she suffered a mishap and has now been retired to the breeding barn.
Fairway secures Lady Shenandoah to run in $20 million race
States asked to step up to back pony racing
The future of the National Pony Racing Series in Australia is now in the hands of the Principal Racing Authorities after the organisation behind the successful series and a raft of other industry educational initiatives, Thoroughbred Industry Careers (TIC), closed down.
Founder Lindy Maurice, who has driven TIC for the past seven years, has opted not to continue with its operation, after battling funding and political challenges since 2018.
While TIC had strong financial support from a host of thoroughbred industry figures, it failed to get the desired support from racing bodies, notably in its home state of New South Wales.
TIC closure puts pony racing program back in state hands
Ceolwulf tops Epsom weights
Defending champion Ceolwulf and fellow Group 1 winners Light Infantry Man, Private Eye and Royal Patronage will have to break a 34-year-old weight carrying record in this year’s Epsom Handicap after they were all allotted 58kg in the famous Randwick mile.
Super Impose (61kg in 1991), was the last horse to carry more weight in the Epsom and win, with Happy Clapper, Winx and Racing To Win having all carried 57kg in wins over the past 20 years.
A total of 96 nominations were received for this year’s race which will be staged at Randwick on Saturday, October 4.
Ceolwulf, should he contest the race, is looking to become the first back-to-back winner of the race since Desert War in 2004 and 2005.
Another Wil, Tom Kitten, Gringotts and Arapaho have been weighted at 57.5kg, while two-time Group 1 winner Stefi Magnetica had 57kg along with recent Tramway Stakes winner Pericles. Treasurethe Moment has been allotted 56.5kg.
Unbeaten Autumn Glow, currently the $1.90 favourite for the race, has 54.5kg.
There are three three-year-olds nominated, Champagne Stakes winner Nepotism, and the Michael Freedman-trained pair Aerodrome and Apocalyptic.
A total of 79 nominations were received for the Group 1 The Metropolitan on the same day.
Vauban has been allocated the topweight in the race with 58.5kg.
End of the Galileo era, fast HK starts for Aussies and Kiwis and a Bangkok musical tribute for Chester
In this week’s Rowe On Monday, Tim reflects on the influence of Galileo after his final Classic runner, Jamie Richards and Deep Field off to a flyer in Hong Kong and a shining star in Thailand commemorated in song.
Rowe On Monday
Keeneland windfall already surpasses 2024 halfway through sale
As the Keeneland September Yearling Sale reached its halfway point on Sunday, the cumulative gross of the sale surpassed that for the entire 12-day sale in 2024.
he gross has now reached US$417 million at the end of Book 3, exceeding the total of US$411 million in through-the-ring sales for the entire 12-day auction last year.
The average for the sale sits at US$343,439, 19 per cent higher than it was at this point last year, with a median of US$250,000, up from US$210,000.
Fifty-six yearlings have sold for $1 million or more compared to 36 last year.
Two colts by Not This Time were the high sellers in the sixth session.
Repole Stable and St. Elias Stables paid the session-topping amount of US $875,000 for a colt from the family of Zenyatta. While another son of Not This Time sold to Bradley Thoroughbreds for US$775,000.
That came after Justin Casse/M.V. Magnier/White Birch paid US$2 million for a colt by Into Mischief on Saturday, a Book 3 record.
Al Riffa dominates Irish St Leger, while Asfoora fails to fire in Flying Five
Al Riffa has established himself as top seed for the 2025 Melbourne Cup, with the recent Australian Bloodstock purchase now a $7 chance to give trainer Joseph O’Brien his third win in the famous Flemington race after an impressive victory in the Irish St Leger.
Al Riffa’s four-length win in the Curragh feature, a race which provided horses like Vintage Crop and Twilight Payment a pathway to the Melbourne Cup, will ensure he is fresh in Racing Victoria handicapper David Hegan’s mind when he releases his Melbourne Cup weights on Tuesday.
Ridden by Dylan Browne McMonagle, Al Riffa worked his way through the small field to take command inside the final furlong and win the one mile and six furlong (2800m) race with ease from Amiloc, with Al Qareem in third.
It completed a rare double as Al Riffa had won the National Stakes, the feature Irish two-year–old race, three years ago on the same day.
Australian Bloodstock, whose colours were victorious in the 2014 Melbourne Cup with Protectionist, secured the French-bred son of Wootton Bassett last month
Multiple Group 1 Australian mare Asfoora was seeking to add another elite race to her globetrotting success story but faded from just off the pace in the Group 1 Flying Five on the same card.
Asfoora would finish seventh, beaten 2.5 lengths by Arizona Blaze, who had finished 11th behind the Aussie mare in the Nunthorpe Stakes at York.
This year’s National Stakes was won by the Eve Johnson Houghton-trained Zavateri, while Starspangledbanner filly Precise won the G1 Moyglare Stud Stakes.
Thoroughbred industry innovation at forefront of new advisory board
A group of nine thoroughbred related technology organisations have come together to form a Thoroughbred Innovation Advisory Board.
TIAB, as it is known, is designed to bring together a cross-section of industry leaders with deep, hands-on experience in technology and innovation across the thoroughbred ecosystem.
The role of the advisory board will be to provide regulators and decision-makers with a sounding board and access to independent expertise in the innovation space, with members representing a daily reach of more than 130,000 owners and breeders.
“Stakeholder support was immediate because it’s clear that new technology frameworks, like the SNS and Stud Book, will determine the scale of future growth,” said Tom Seymour, convenor of the TIAB.
“Without them, delivering the cost savings and efficiencies the industry needs will remain out of reach. We are all committed to sharing our data, IP, networks, and daily reach to help ensure rollouts are modern, scalable, and embraced across the sector,”
The board will have a national focus, while remaining open to supporting state and regional initiatives.
Founding member organisations are Inglis Digital, Ardex, G1 Goldmine/Stallion Match, Prism, Thoroughworks, WrkPlace Digital, Race Day Ready (Data Analytics), Breedr and Arioneo.
Next Crop looks to appoint new committee
The next generation of thoroughbred industry leaders are being sought to help steer Thoroughbred Breeders Australia’s Next Crop program.
TBA is seeking members of a newly revitalised Next Crop committee, with a focus on strengthening the group’s vision, broadening its reach, and ensuring its long-term sustainability.
Since its launch in 2023, Next Crop has built a national community with around 800 members.
It conducts a range of events including the iconic Gold Coast Magic Millions Trivia Night, Mix & Mingle @ The Sales gatherings, foaling workshops, webinars and stallion parade tours.
TBA is now seeking applications for a new Next Crop Committee Group, which will oversee the initiative for a 12-month term.
“Committee members will be entrusted to uphold the responsibilities and objectives set by TBA, ensuring all activities align with the values and direction of the TBA brand and contribute to a vibrant future for the Australian thoroughbred industry,” TBA said in a statement.
The new committee is expected to consist of six to eight members, focused on everything from strategy and vision, events, membership, communication and governance.
TBA’s Head of Industry Education and Projects Madison Tims will support the new committee in an advisory capacity with applications to close at 5pm on Monday, October 6.
Australian General Sires Table
Source: Arion.co.nz
